Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Press releases are provided by companies as is and have not been edited or checked for accuracy. Any queries should be directed to the company issuing the release.

Truckers Against Trafficking Prepares for Highly Anticipated "Everyday Heroes" Kenworth T680 Auction

Fleets and Truck Operators Can Bid Online at Ritchie Bros.

Truckers Against Trafficking Prepares for Highly Anticipated "Everyday Heroes" Kenworth T680 Auction

KIRKLAND, Wash., May 13, 2019 - After a successful 2017 "Everyday Heroes" Kenworth T680 auction, Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) anticipates even greater results when its second Everyday Heroes truck is auctioned at Ritchie Bros in Phoenix on Friday, May 17.

Proceeds from the sale go directly to TAT - a 501(c)3 non-profit devoted to stopping human trafficking by educating, mobilizing, and empowering the nation's truck drivers and rest stop employees.

"Human trafficking is a terrible crime that affects millions in the United States each year, and the trucking industry can - and is - making a difference," said Don Blake, new truck sales manager at Inland Kenworth - Phoenix and TAT board member. Blake is the driving force behind the Kenworth T680 auction. "The winning bidder for the Everyday Heroes Kenworth T680 will help fund Truckers Against Trafficking and increase awareness of human trafficking and TAT's mission to end it. We look forward to a successful auction."

"Fundraising events, such as the Everyday Heroes auction, truly brings the trucking industry together to achieve a common goal," said Kurt Swihart, Kenworth marketing director. "The contributions Don Blake has made to make this auction happen is truly admirable. Because of Don, we are able to join forces with others in the trucking industry to fight against human trafficking through the auction of this special Kenworth T680. The money raised from this event will help Truckers Against Trafficking continue to bring justice to those being trafficked."

The special Kenworth T680 is fully loaded with a 76-inch sleeper, 485-hp PACCAR MX-13 engine, and PACCAR 12-speed automated transmission.

"Many of the companies that helped make our 2017 Everyday Heroes truck possible stepped up to the plate again through monetary and equipment donations for this year's truck," said Blake. "This fundraising event for Truckers Against Trafficking wouldn't be possible without our sponsors' support."

In 2017, Mike Jimenez, owner of Phoenix-based J&L Transportation submitted the winning bid for the Everyday Heroes Kenworth T680 that was auctioned. The bid resulted in an $83,000 donation to TAT, the largest single donation to the organization.

"We were able to generate a significant donation through the auctioning of our last Everyday Heroes truck, and our hope is that we can surpass that mark this year," said Blake. "Truckers Against Trafficking is an incredible organization, and we as a trucking industry can make a difference in bringing the crime of human trafficking to an end."

Interested parties can bid on the truck online, by proxy or in person. Bidders can register in advance at (www.rbauction.com/heavy-equipment-auctions/phoenix-az-2019184). Interested parties also can obtain online buying information (www.rbauction.com/buying/how-to-buy/online), or call Ritchie Bros. at (602) 269-5631 for assistance. For those able to attend the auction, Ritchie Bros. is located at 5410 W. Lower Buckeye Road in Phoenix.

To make the Everyday Heroes Kenworth T680 truck possible, sponsors at the platinum, gold, silver and bronze levels donated parts and money to help in the manufacturing process.

Providing industry support for the Everyday Heroes Kenworth T680 are:

Platinum Level: Kenworth Truck Company, Inland Kenworth and Ritchie Bros

Gold Level: PACCAR Engine, SEG Automotive, and Swift Charities

Silver Level: Bendix, Bridgestone, Eaton, FlowBelow, Horton, José, Meritor, PACCAR Financial, PACCAR Parts, Trimble, Utility Trailer Sales of Arizona, and WABCO

Bronze Level: Alcoa, Arizona Rock Product Association, Arizona Trucking Association, Beaver Stripes and Molding, Chevron, ConMet, Davco, East Penn, Ex-Guard®, National Seats, PrePass / Help Inc, Sheppard, and Tectran.

About Inland Kenworth

With more than 30 Kenworth dealerships in the U.S. and Canada, Inland Kenworth is one of the oldest and largest Kenworth dealers in the world. Inland Kenworth's home page is www.inland-group.com

About Truckers Against Trafficking

Truckers Against Trafficking is a 501(c)3 working to educate, equip, empower and mobilize the trucking industry to combat human trafficking as part of their regular jobs.

About Kenworth

Kenworth is The Driver's Truck™. See what drivers are saying at www.kenworth.com/drivers.

Kenworth Truck Company is the manufacturer of The World's Best® heavy and medium duty trucks. Kenworth's Internet home page is at www.kenworth.com. Kenworth is a PACCAR company.
#

More Info:

The Latest

More Stories

a headshot of Bill Pedriana at Noblelift
Photo courtesy of Noblelift

NOBLELIFT North America welcomes Bill Pedriana as newpresident

Des Plaines, Illinois – January 7, 2025: NOBLELIFT North America, a global leader in lithium-iron material handling technology, is excited to announce the appointment of Bill Pedriana as its new President. With nearly four decades of experience in the material handling industry, Pedriana is poised to lead NOBLELIFT North America into a new era of innovation, growth, and customer-centric success.

Bill Pedriana served as Chief Marketing Officer at Big Joe Forklifts, where his visionary leadership helped rebuild the brand, develop groundbreaking products (including the Joey series of access vehicles and their cobot pallet truck concept), and execute comprehensive sales and marketing strategies. For 14 years, Pedriana played an instrumental role in achieving an extraordinary 14x growth in sales and helping to drive the global expansion of Big Joe’s parent company, EP Equipment.

Keep ReadingShow less

Featured

Loren Swakow of Noblelift

Loren Swakow announces retirement as managing director of NOBLELIFT North America

Des Plaines, Illinois – Loren Swakow, Managing Director of NOBLELIFT North America, has announced his retirement effective January 31st, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of unprecedented growth, innovation, and strong relationships built over nearly a decade at the helm of the company.

Swakow joined NOBLELIFT in October 2016, tasked with the challenge of bringing an unknown brand into the highly competitive American market. At the time, NOBLELIFT had no dealer network and minimal brand recognition. Over the course of eight years, Swakow's strategic leadership and expertise have led to remarkable success, driving average annual growth of 43%. Today, NOBLELIFT is supported by a professional dealer network spanning the entire country, with sales growth consistently outpacing the industry, a true testament to Swakow’s vision and determination.

Keep ReadingShow less
a family shops in a grocery store using a smart trolley
Photo courtesy of Instacart

Australian supermarket chain rolls out AI-powered grocery carts

Grocery shoppers in Australia will soon be able to zip in and out of the store in record time, bypassing the lines for cashiers or self-checkout kiosks altogether. They can just walk in, make their selections, and walk out with their bags in hand.

The secret to this express shopping experience is the “Caper Cart,” an AI (artificial intelligence)-powered smart trolley from San Francisco-based Instacart. In its first deployment in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, the system is being tested by Coles Supermarkets, a food and beverage retailer with more than 1,800 grocery and liquor stores throughout the country.

Keep ReadingShow less
a women in an office watching a delivery of boxes

How green is your glue?

If you’re looking to make the packaging process more eco-friendly, the obvious place to start is with the box itself. And that’s exactly what Salt Lake City-based Packsize did when it made its initial foray into sustainable packaging back in 2002. That year, the company launched its first product, an innovative on-demand packaging system designed to reduce cardboard waste (and the need for filler material) by creating a right-sized box for each shipment.

Now the company is ready for the next step: greening up the glue.

Keep ReadingShow less

​OPEX® Sure Sort® X with Xtract™ Warehouse Automation System Is Named a Finalist in the New Equipment Digest NED Innovation Awards

MOORESTOWN, NJ (December 18, 2024) OPEX® Corporation, a global leader in Next Generation Automation providing solutions for document, mail, and warehouse automation, has been selected as a finalist in the 2024 NED (New Equipment Digest) Innovation Awards, which celebrates innovations in industrial technology, tools, and equipment that empower businesses to work faster, better, and more cost-effectively.

OPEX Sure Sort® X with Xtract™, a high-speed automated sortation and order retrieval system, was recognized in the NED Innovation Awards Automation category.

Keep ReadingShow less